Fisheries group discusses NPFMC meetingThe Kodiak city and borough fisheries work group met Monday to discuss the results of the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council’s discussion on trawl bycatch. In a meeting that ended last week, the council reviewed the Gulf of Alaska trawl bycatch management discussion paper that had been released before the meeting. The paper included eight proposals from industry stakeholders regarding the development of a ...

Library prepares to moveA. Holmes Johnson Memorial Library will close its doors on Thursday as staff members begin the process of moving its 74,000-item collection to the new building on Signal Hill. The library will be reopen Dec. 10 as the Kodiak Public Library. Interim library director Barbara Rudio said the library has been preparing for the move for the past year. Part of that process included sorting through collection to decide wh...

City presents composting plan to borough assemblyThe city of Kodiak presented the case for composting to the borough assembly Thursday night as it asked the assembly to approve a 2.36-acre composting site at the Kodiak Island Borough landfill. If approved by the borough assembly in its Thursday meeting, the measure would transfer a plot of land to the city, allowing the city to begin design and construction of a permanent sewage composting facility. “We’re tryin...

City moves ahead with new pierWhile the state of Alaska lays the groundwork for a new Tustumena-class ferry, the city of Kodiak is moving ahead with a new dock for the existing Tustumena. Negotiations are proceeding with the state of Alaska on a $14.3 million replacement for City Pier 1. According to a draft memorandum of agreement still being worked out, the state will build a new Pier 1 using state and federal money. Funding was approved und...

Army: Negligence led to grounding, spillBob Graham, skipper of the Peggy Jo, was sitting in the wheelhouse of his boat and waiting to leave the Trident dock when a call came over the radio: “Mayday.” That call signified the end of a normal evening for Graham and for the crew of the US Army landing craft Monterrey, which struck Kalsin Reef on the evening of June 8, 2012. The Monterrey spilled 18,000 gallons of fuel and avoided sinking only when its crew ...

Fight between GCI, NBC may mean no Sunday Night FootballA conflict between Anchorage’s KTUU-TV and cable TV provider GCI may leave Kodiak without NBC broadcasts starting Thursday morning. GCI and KTUU are in the middle of contentious debates about the price KTUU can charge GCI for its broadcasts. So-called “carriage fees” make up much of the bill GCI charges each cable subscriber. “GCI has tried to negotiate a long-term agreement, including fair payment for carriage, b...

Island Trails Network invites furloughed workers to volunteer for trail dutyFor some furloughed workers, the drive to be productive doesn’t stop when the federal government shuts down. Island Trails Network is now providing furloughed employees an outlet for their energy and talents. From now until the government reopens, ITN will have its doors open to all people looking for a day of volunteer work. “We want this shutdown to end like everybody else does,” said Island Trails Network execu...

Election turnout reaches 17 percentFewer than one in five borough residents cast ballots in this month’s municipal election, according to final figures released Wednesday afternoon. City and borough clerks finished tallying absentee and questioned ballots from the Oct. 1 election on Wednesday, but the extra ballots failed to lift turnout above 17 percent. Within city limits, turnout was even lower, as only 15.5 percent of Kodiak’s registered voters...

Tusty's return could be slowed by shutdownThe ferry Tustumena is in the water, but the ongoing federal government shutdown could keep it from returning to Kodiak service on schedule. Alaska Department of Transportation spokesman Jeremy Woodrow said work on the Tustumena is all but finished, but the US Coast Guard must grant its permission before the ship begins operating again. The Coast Guard’s permission will come after the Tustumena passes computerized...

Xtratuf theft leads to felony chargeHow much are Xtratufs worth? They’re around $90 — or a criminal theft charge. Jason Ray, 38, was arraigned Tuesday in Kodiak District Court on one count of second-degree theft with prior convictions (a class C felony) and one count of second-degree criminal trespass (a class B misdemeanor) for allegedly trying to steal a pair of Xtratuf boots from Alaska Food For Less in downtown Kodiak. Second-degree theft is a c...